Ultralight Vehicles

1
Ultralight Vehicles

• Jenna Owen
• University of Texas at Austin
• Chemical Engineering

ElectroPhen, 2008
2
Overview

• Introduction
• Ultralight Strategy
• Materials
• Advanced Composites
• Hypercar
• Conclusion

3
Current model and disadvantages

• Steel model has been seen for almost a century.
• Cars are very heavy due to the weight of the
  steel.
• Current vehicles are not energy efficient.
• 85 of energy input is lost
• 1 of energy is used to move the passengers

4
Ultralight Strategy

• Mass decompounding is the key to an efficient
  vehicle design.
• Saving 1 lb of weight leads to saving 5 lbs.
• Every 10 of weight reduction translates to a 7
  increase in fuel economy.

5
Materials

• Light Steel (25-30 lighter)
• Hydroform tubing used to create the autobody.
• Laser welding allows thin steel to be welded to
  thicker steel.
• Aluminum (40 lighter)
• New types of alloys and production techniques
  tested
• Advanced Composites (50-67 lighter)

6
Advanced Composites

• Composition
• Polymers embedded into a matrix of plastic
• Composed of carbon, aramid, or similar fibers
• Composites durable, fatigue resistant, and reduce
  noise and vibrations.
• Design
• Materials formed into one unit or shell
• Aerodynamic drag reduced by 40-50
• Rolling resistance reduced by 50

7
Advanced Composites

• Safety
• Materials are 20 times as stiff, 4 times as
  tough, and can handle temperatures twice as high.
• Composites can absorb 5 times more energy than an
  equivalent amount of steel.
• Cost
• Advanced composites are expensive
• 1-2 orders of magnitude fewer parts
• Simple assembly and few tools required

8
Hypercar

• Incorporates ultralight technology along with a
  hybrid electric drive system
• Travels 90-100 miles per gallon

Sundance Channel, 2008
9
Conclusion

• Ultralight technology will increase the energy
  efficiency of future vehicles.
• Advanced composites create light, safe, durable,
  and superefficient vehicles.